Registering apparatus.



.EH. HOLLERITH. REGISTERING APPARATUS, APPLICATION FILED AUG. 26, 1905.

1,030,304. Patented June 25, 1912.

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B) 1% ATTOHNEW "H. HOLLERITH.

REGISTERING APPARATUS.

ABPLIOATION FILED AUG. 26, 1905.

1,030,304.. Patented June 25, 1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES: llwavrofl V B) /5ATTOHNEY H. HOLLERITH. REGISTERINGAPPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 2 6, 1905.

Patented June 25, 1912.

4 SHEETSSHEET 3.

H. HOLLERITH. REGISTERING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 26, 1905.

1,030,304, Patented June 25, 1912.

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3Q A m w I Q L "X \o g W/TNESSES. INVENTOH r H4 (HIV M M B) H/ ATTORNEYUNITED STATES PATENT @FFTQE.

HERMAN HOLLERITH, OF GARRETT PARK, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE TABULATINGMACHINE COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

REGISTERING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 25, 11912.

Application filed August 26, 1905. Serial No. 275,897.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMAN HOLLERITH, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Garrett Park, Montgomery county, Maryland, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Registering A paratus,of which the following is a full, 0 ear, and exact description,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to the general class of registers and comprisesapparatus by which items may be counted or totalized and, when desired,recorded on a printed record.

I have illustrated in the drawings and will describe in detail aspecific and preferred form of apparatus embodying my invention which isnot, except as indicated in the claims, restricted to the specificfeatures illustrated or described, since the apparatus is susceptible ofmodifications in which the beneficial results of my invention would berealized to a greater or less degree and which would not involve anydeparture from the scope of my invention.

The particular embodiment of my inven-- tion illustrated in the drawingscomprises ten separate counters or registers grouped together side byside. Each counter is arranged to count or add units, one by one, andcontains four members, one for units, one for tens, one for hundreds andone for thousands from which the positions of the indicators aredetermined and which I therefore refer to as positioning members. Thesepositioning members, which are all counterparts of each other, may begrouped together, as the character of the work may require. A printedrecord of the results obtained by the operation of the apparatus may bemade at any stage of the operation if desired, and in order that thisrecord, which is made in reversed position, shall read properly fromleft to right, the positioning members, of which any desired number maybe employed, are as shown arranged in reverse order with the unitsmemher at the left, viewed from the front or printing end of themachine.

As the particular form of apparatus shown is intended to count units,one at a time, the units member only is actuated by the power or drivingmechanism, in this instance consisting of an electro-magnct, the othermembers being actuated only by the transfer or carrying mechanism.employment of these positioning members I am enabled to dispenseentirely with the adding or number wheels or members heretoforeconstituting an essential element of adding mechanisms, thereby savingthe space required for them and securing an extremely compactconstruction.

In the drawings Figure l is a plan View partly in section of one form ofapparatus, embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation onthe line 22 (Fig. 1); Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the parts in adifferent position; Fig. 4 is a detail on an enlarged scale showing aplan of the positioning members of one counter; Fig. 5 is a sectionalelevation showing a modification of the construction illustrated inFigs. 1 t; Fig. 6 is a front elevation of one of the positioningmembers; Fig. 7 is a side elevation of one of the units positioningmembers; Fig. 8 is a similar view of one of said members of higherorder; Fig. 9 is a detail showing part of the resetting mechanism andFig. 10 is a diagram showing an operative arrangement of circuit devicesby which the mechanism may be actuated.

Similar reference characters are employed to designate like parts in allthe views.

The apparatus as illustrated is supported in a case or frame 1, in whichis journaled an arbor 2 which extends entirely across the frame andsupports the positioning members of all the counters. The positioningmembers of each counter are designated generally by the letter A, andspecifically 3 represents the units, 4 the tens, 5 the hundreds and 6the thousands member. All of said members are duplicates inconstruction, and each constitutes a structural unit consisting only ofa ratchet wheel 7 and cam 8 integrally formed or otherwise rigidly connected -so as to rotate together as a single element. It will beobserved that each of said members may be formed of thin plates or disksso that, in their side by side relation, they will occupy an exceedinglysmall compass. This is a very desirable and practical feature inmachines of this character where the mechanisms are multiplied to alarge extent. As shown the cam 8 is a double cam consisting of 'two likesections dia- By the I ately from its heel to its point.

Each counter is operated by a suitable power or actuating device such asan electro-magnet 10, to the spring retract-ed armature 11 of which ispivoted a pawl 12 which is held in engagement with the teeth of theratchet wheel 7, on the units positioning member of the counter, by aretractile spring 13, so that each time the magnet 10 is energized andattracts its armature the units member will be advanced the distancerepresented by one tooth of the ratchet wheel. An abutment 14 engagesthe end of the pawl '12, guiding it properly against, the ratchet teethand preventing overthrow. A check pawl 15 engages each ratchet wheel andprevents backward rotation thereof.

Suitable mechanism must be provided to effect the carrying or transferfrom each member to that of the next higher order. I have shown onepractical form of such apparatus which cooperates properly with theother elements of the apparatus and which comprises carry levers 20pivoted as at 21 and pressed toward the positioning members by springs22. A finger 23 is formed on each lever and is arranged to be engaged bythe advancing surface of a cam 8. A pawl 24 is pivotally secured to eachof the leve'rs 20 in position to engage with the teeth of the ratchet ,7on the member next higher in order, being held against the ratchet teethby a spring 25. An abutment 26 serves as a stop to prevent overthro'w bythe carry lever and pawl. As the advancing surface of the cam 8 on themember of lower order engages the finger 23, the lever 20 will be forcedback, carrying the pawl 24 back to drop behind the next tooth on theratchet of the member of higher order and when the revolution of the cam8 carries the point of the cam free of the finger 23 the spring 22 willforce the lever and pawl forward thus actuating its ratchet wheel tomove its counting member one tooth, it being understood, of course, thatthis occurs when the member .which actuates the lever moves from aposition representing 9, corresponding to the point of one section ofthe cam, to zero, denoted by the heel of the succeeding section. Meansare also provided for resetting the positioning members to zero attheend of an operation. The mechanism which I have devised for this purposecomprises a lever 30 which is mounted on one end of the arbor 2. Aspring-pressed pawl 31 is carried by the lever and engages a notcheddisk 32 made fast to the arbor, locking the lever to the arbor when thelever is moved forwardly but permitting the lever to be returned to itsinitial position Without turning the arbor.

The disk 32 is provided with two of said notches in diametricalrelation. A collar 33 provided with two diametrically arranged notches34 is also secured fast to the arbor 2 and a dog 35 carried by aspring-pressed arm 36 is arranged to yieldingly engage one of thenotches in the collar 33, when the arbor 2 has been moved to the forwardlimit of its movement by the lever 30, so as to hold the arbor againstmovement on the return or backward movement of the lever. The arbor 2 isprovided with two diametrically arranged catch notches 37 for eachpositioning member and each of such members carries a spring-pressedpawl 38 held in a recess 39. in the face of the cam 8. The notches 37for the units member are in such relative arrangement'to the pawl 38carried by the member that when the lever 30 is actuated to turn thearbor forward to reset the members, one of the notches 37 for the unitsmember will engage the pawl thereon at some point in the movement of thearbor and carry the units member to zero. The notches 37 on the arbor 2for the different members may be arranged in axial alinement as byforming continuous grooves on opposite sides of the arbor. In such casethe pawl-38 on the units member is placed one tooth in advance of thepawls on all the other members so that while the units memher is resetto zero position by the resetting movement of the arbor 2, the membersof higher order will all be carried only to their 9 positions. Theresetting movement -of the arbor 2 will turn the collar 33, fastthereon,

throwing the dog 35 out of the notch 34: and swinging'the arm 36backward against the resetting levers 20 to hold them in a retractedposition until the units mem; ber reaches its zero position when the dog35 will enter the notch on the opposite side of the collar 33 permittingthe springs 22 to throw the levers 20 forward to move the members ofhigher order from their 9 to their zero positions, the transfermechanism thus completing the resetting movement of these members.

In order to provide for a reading of the results of operation and alsoto provide for the making of a printed record of' such results ifdesired, I have devised means by which such a reading or record can bemade at any time at the will of the operator. These means comprise aseries of indicators 40, one for each positioning member of the machine,indicated generally by the letter B. The indicators 40 may be arrangedin various ways. Duringthe operation of the positioning members, theyare inactive and disconnected therefrom, thereby relieving the operatingmechanism from the work of actuating the indicators. The indicators 40are of segmental form and are mounted loosely, so as to be independentlymovable, on an axle 41 extending across the machine and journaled in thesides of the frame 1. Suitable indicating characters 42, preferably intype form, are arranged on the periphery of each segment. In the case of:1 units counting machine these characters would consist of thecharacters 0 to 9 inclusive, and, in the construction illustrated, withthe cipher at the top of the segment. The indicating characters in theirspaced relation will correspond with points on the surface of the cam 8opposite the ratchet teeth of the positioning member.

From the foregoing partial description of the apparatus illustrated itwill be apparent that the result of any counting or adding operationwill be denoted by effecting a correlative positioning of the members Aand indicators B, and that if each of the indicators B be brought into aposition corresponding exactly with the position of its positioningmember a character on each indicator corresponding to that position willshow at an opening 55 in the front of the machine case from which avisual reading, or as will be presently described, a printed record maybe made. My invention comprises means for accomplishing this correlativepositioning of the members A and B, and in the drawings I have shownsuch means in a preferred form; but other equivalent means may beemployed as my invention does not reside in the precise form orarrangement of the devices illustrated.

The devices which I preferably employ for the purpose just referred toare shown most clearly in Figs. 2 and 5 which show the indicatorsarranged to be entirely free from engagement or connection with thepositioning members, during the operation of the latter, thus relievingthe operating magnets from all work in connection with the operation ofthe indicators and reducing the power required to operate the apparatusto a minimum. Referring now to Figs. 2 and 3, each indicator is providedwith a member 43 which is constructed as a complement of the cam or camsection 8 with which it cooperates. In the construction illustrated,this member is shown with an eccentric stop surface 44, which ispreferably notched or stepped in regular order corresponding to pointson the surface of the cam 8 opposite the teeth of the ratchet wheel 7.Each of the indicators 40 is designed to be normally drawn in adirection for bringing the characters 42 successively into properposition by suitable means, such as a retractile spring 45 made fast atone end to a fixed support, and at its other end connected at 46 to thelower side of the indicator body at one side of its pivotal support. Allthe indicators 40 are held in inoperative or inactive positions againstthe tension of their actuating springs 45 by a suitable restrainingdevice such as a universal bar 50 which is carried by yoke arms 51secured to the indicator axle 41. This axle also has rigidly connectedthereto, preferably as an extension of one of the yoke arms 51, a lever52 conveniently arranged at one side of the frame. The means forsecuring the correlative positions of the members A and the indicators Balso comprise a series of intermediate devices, one for each indicator,which serve to arrest and hold the indicators in their proper positionsand which are designated generally by the letter C. These intermediatedevices, which I refer to as indicator stops, asshown in Figs. 2 and 5consist of a lever (30, pivotally supported as at 61 to a fixed support62. A spring 63 is secured to the upper end of each lever. In Fig. 2 thespring tends to hold the upper end of each lever against a restrainingbar 64 which extends across the machine and is pivotally supported atits upper edge as at 65. An arm (36 is secured to the bar 64 and carriesa stud 67 which projects through a guide slot 68 in the side of theframe or case 1. The stud 67 is ngaged by a notch 69 in the lever 52,when the lever is in its at rest position, to hold the restraining bar64 against the levers 60. Each stop lever 60 is provided with acamengaging finger 7 O which, as shown in Fig. 2, is held just clear ofits cam 8 when the indicator stops are in the position just described;but when the restraining bar (54 is released by the movement of thelever 52 and releases the levers 60 each of the cam engaging fingersthereon will be drawn against the cam surface of its positioning memberby the pull exerted by the springs 63. The movement of the lever 52which releases the stop indicators also, in its further movement, movesthe restraining bar 50 and permits the springs 45 to actuate theindicators, drawing the members 43 thereof upward toward the free end 71of the levers 60 which have assumed various positions determined by therespective positions of the cams on the positioning members. In theirupward movement, therefore, the end 71 of each lever 60 will engage thetooth of its indicator member 43 which corresponds with the point on thesurface of its cam 8 with which the finger 70 is engaged, therebyarresting the movement of each indicator in a corresponding position andshowing at the opening 55 its corresponding character.

For the purpose of making a printed record of the indicator charactersthus displayed or brought into position, I have devised a record makingor printing device 'which as illustrated comprises an inking ribbon 80for each counter, which is wound and unwound on upper and lower ribbonspools 81 and 82. The upper ribbon spools 81 are all secured to a commonaxle 83 which may be turned to wind the ribbon in one direction by afinger piece 84. The lower ribbon spools 82 are similarly mounted andactuated. The paper or sheet 85 upon which the record is to be made maybe conveniently supported and guided by a paper guide 86. A paperfeeding roll 87 is mounted on an axle ournaled in the frame of themachine and cooperates with the stud rollers 88 to properly feed thepaper. The feeding roll 87 may be suitably actuated by a finger piece 89secured to its aXle. The printing mechanism also comprises an impressionroller 90 journaled in a horizontal position in a block 91 arranged toslide in suitable guides 92 across the front of the machine. The journalsupport of the impression roller is provided with a hand piece 93 bymeans of which the roller may be reciprocated from either side of themachine across the face of all the indicators thereby impressing uponthe paper all the characters on the indicators which are in printingposition. A yielding pressure of the impression roller 90 against theprinting characters'may be provided for, as for instance by forming theperiphery of the impression roller of some suit-able resilient material.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a modification of the apparatus embodying myinvention in which. the carry levers 20 and the restraining devices forthe indicator stops are entirely dispensed with, carry pawls 241 beingpivoted on and actuated by levers 60 and cam engaging fingers 70 beingheld in constant engagement with cams 8 by retractile springs 63, sothat when the indicators are released the ends. 71 of the stop leverswill engage the proper tooth of the indicator members 13* and arresteach indicator in a position corresponding to the position of itspositioning member. This modification simplifies the const-rrction ofthe apparatus by reducing the number of parts.

My invention is particularly adapted for all classes or character ofwork where a large number of closely grouped easily read counters arerequired. It is, for instance,

particularly adapted for use in the Hollerith tabulating system and inFig. l I have indicated diagrammatically a method of its employment insuch systems of which one of the distinguishing characteristics is arecord card 100 upon which the data to be counted or registered isdenoted by the location of index-points preferably formed by punchingthe record cards at the proper indeX-point positions. Suitable circuitclosing devices, such as mercury cups 101 and spring pressed pins 102,are controlled by the record' card to close an electric circuit throughthe punched holes thereof. Each of the actuating electro-magnets 10 isconnected with one of the mercury cups so that when the pins 102 areadvanced those pins which are opposite perforations on the card willenter their mercury cups and close a circuit through their respectivemagnets. My invention may also be advantageously employed in telephoneexchanges and in fact in any work of similar character where it isessential that a large number of separate counters should be assembledso as to be readily observed and manipulated by a single operator.

Having thus shown and described my invention, what I claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In apparatus of the class described, positioning members, indicatorstherefor normally disconnected therefrom, and means normally disengagedfrom the indicators interposed between said members and said indicatorsfor positioning the latter from the positions of said members.

2. In apparatus of the character de scribed, positioning members,indicators therefor normally disconnected therefrom, and an intermediatedevice normally disengaged from the indicators and means for effectingthe engagement of the complemental parts of said members and saidinilicators to determine the positions of the atter.

3. In apparatus of the class described, po-

sitioning members, indicators therefor normally disconnected therefrom,intermediate devices engaging complemental parts of said members andindicators, to determine the position of the latter from the former,means for releasing the indicators to effect their engagement with saidintermediate devices, and means for holding the indicators inactiveduring the operation of the positioning members.

4:. In apparatus of the class described, positioning members, resultindicators therefor, indicator stops normally disconnected from theindicators arranged to provide an operative connection between thepositioning members and the indicators and means for normally holdingthe indicators inactive,

In apparatus of the class described, a plurality of positioning members,an indicator for each of said members, an indicator stop providingoperative connection between each of said members and its indicator, alever controlled device for normally holding the indicators inactiveduring the operation of the positioning members and for releasing themto engage the indicator stops.

6. In apparatus of the class described, a,

' stops.

tioning members and its complemental indicator element, means forholding the mdicators inactive during the operation of the positioningmembers and means for releasstop for each element, means for holding thei a spring indicators inactive during the operation of the positioningmembers, means for releasing the indicators to engage the indicatorstops after the operation of the positioning cams and resetting meansfor the indicators.

8. In apparatus of the character described, a plurality of positioningmembers, an indicator for each of said members, an indicator stop foreach indicator, :means for holding said stops in engagement with saidpositioning members during the operation of the latter, means forholding the indicators inactive during the operation'of said positioningmembers and means for releas ing the indicators to engage the indicatorstops after the operation of said members.

9. In apparatus of the character described, a plurality of positioningmembers, each comprising a cam and a ratchetwheel,

pressed lever for each member cooperating with the ratchet wheel of thenext succeeding member, an operating device for the units member, anindicator for each positioning member disconnected therefrom and meansfor positioning each indicator from the position of its positioningmember.

10 In apparatus of the character, described, a plurality of positioningmembers such as A, comprising a camand a ratchet wheel, a transfermechanism comprising a device which cooperates with the cam of onemember and with the ratchet of the succeeding member, an operatingdevice for the units member, an indicator such as B for each positioningmember but normally disconnected therefrom and 'means such as C forpositioning each indicator in accordance with the posit-ion of itspositioning member.

11. In apparatus of the class described, a plurality of positioningmembers arranged to carry from one to the other, an arbor common to allof said members and provided with catch notches, a spring-pressedcoupling dog for each member adapted to engage the notches of the arbor,a resetting lever having a pawl-locked engagement with the arbor, andmeans for arresting the movement of the arbor with the units member onlyin zero position.

12. In a machine of the class described, a plurality of positioningmembers arranged to carry from one to the other, an arbor common to allof said members and carrying a holder collar, a spring-pressed retainingdog for engaging said collar, when the units member only is in zeroposition, means for connecting the bers with the arbor when the latteris r0- tated in one direction, and a lever having a pawl-lockedengagement with the arbor.

13. In apparatus of the character described, a plurality of positioningmembers,

individual counter memindicator stops cont-rolled by the positioningmembers, electro-magnets for actuating the positioning members, arecord-card provided with index-points for controlling the operation ofthe magnets, and means for moving the indicators to correspond-with theposition of the positioning members, substantially as set forth.

14. In a counting or registering device a plurality of rotary memberseach consisting of two elements one of which is a cam and the other aratchet in combination with actuating, transfer and resetting mechanismfor said members, with indicators which are free from connection withthe said members during their operation and with means fortestablishinga cooperating relation between said members and said indicators at will.

. HERMAN HOLLERITH. Witnesses:

- OTTO E. BRAITMAYER JOSEPHINE C. GRANEY.

